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Those are definite must have plug ins if you use GIMP. You might want to try FX Foundry's script package too.

There is a guy who has the software and plug ins nicely packaged together if you want a simple download. Just go to partha.com. I wish they would come out with GIMP 3 already, which is supposed to be a massive overhaul and upgrade to its power.

Btw, Photivo is a great RAW processor, and is free and works well with GIMP.

If you're at a place and don't have access to install software, or would rather not and just need to do some quick editing, IMHO there is no better place than pixlr.com

I use pixlr.com ALL the time at work. It's the closest non-photoshop product I've used and it's free and runs right in the browser. Sure it's not as strong as photoshop, but the absolute essentials I need for any retouch are there.

I can't install any software to my work PC, so it's a real life saver.

I use the same one at work as well, and yes it works very well considering its free and online.

I'm going to throw one into the ring here. Pixelmator this is a really nicely engineered piece of software and a decent support site to help get you started (apple only though). Quite surprisingly only $15 bucks this is a steal I paid $40 about 2 years ago.

Another one worth a look is ACDSee, i used it years ago for a while and hadn't checked it out for a long time, i was pleasanty suprised by what it's offering , and it's one i now use from time to time.

I had to look for an alternative. I have photoshop for a Mac on my main comp, but my laptop is windows, and you are not allowed to upload to 2 different platforms. Photoshop is far to expensive expensive to buy it twice!

I just downloaded RawTherapee for the first time since it's 2.4 (or something like that) release....it's into the 4's now. They've made great strides and it looks like a nice Raw processor. If someone is looking for a free alternative to LR, give this a try. But, I would also suggest giving Photivo (Photivo.org) a try. It is very, very powerful and is jam packed with creative filters that even LR doesn't have. What these don't have that give LR such a big advantage is the ability to apply local edits in a robust way.

I just downloaded RawTherapee for the first time since it's 2.4 (or something like that) release....it's into the 4's now. They've made great strides and it looks like a nice Raw processor. If someone is looking for a free alternative to LR, give this a try. But, I would also suggest giving Photivo (Photivo.org) a try. It is very, very powerful and is jam packed with creative filters that even LR doesn't have. What these don't have that give LR such a big advantage is the ability to apply local edits in a robust way.

Once you give it a shot, let us know what you think. I think it is a powerhouse, but it can be intimidating at first since it has so many options.

I had a go, it's like when you first use lightroom or some other software, it takes a while before you adapt and can make the most of it. All software seems to do things slightly differently i've noticed, like the contrast fader in GIMP has a different effect than the contrast fader in lightroom etc.

I am patiently waiting for Aperture 4/X or whatever it is called. I sincerely hope they add layers. If not I may go for Lightroom then I can follow Tony's editing! I have Elements 11 which I downloaded from Amazon for £32 about 6 months ago and it was great value. Apparently Amazon run this offer every now and then so if you are interested it would be worth checking....it only runs for a short while.